Anna & Lil' Remy Meet
by Anna Lane
Summary: Anna takes care of a little boy hurt in an explosion. They meet again years later. Minor Rogan moments, overall Remy/Anna. 2 parts, complete. Rated M
1. The First Meeting

**_A/N: Well, the night before I have my first college class and what am I doing? Not sleeping, nope siree, I'm here. This story's characters, the X-men, all have the EVO backgrounds (except Remy), but it takes place when they're grown, so picture the 90's cartoon look (except for Rogue, as she is based on the newer legacy comic version). Unless you want to picture them however! Because you can always do that, too :)  
_**

Anna worked hard at the institute. Professor by day and nurse by night. When she wasn't being an X-Man, of course. The nurse gig was a new occurrence. The hospital wing had just opened up. It didn't have much staff yet. Or that many patients, either. She'd absorbed a nurse once, anyway, so she felt obliged to volunteer.

Truth was, she was almost giddy to. Being a nurse had been so completely not an option for the longest time because being near people all day would inevitably lead to an accidental touch sometime. She felt compelled to do it now to see what she'd missed out on.

Not for the last time she thanked her stars and garters, as Hank would say, that Xavier had helped her learn how to control her powers.

Anna went her usual 'rounds' as she did every night, walking around an empty wing of empty white beds. She was one of the few who didn't mind how damn near deserted it could get during the night. That was why she was almost always the one to work the late shift. Even during the day it was pretty slow, with a broken arm here or there from Logan's crazy training courses. And that was _with_ the X-Men running around battling people. So far, Anna felt she was more of an orderly, stocking and restocking supplies.

With what felt curiously like disappointment, Anna had come to realize that this might have been the perfect job for her. Long sleeved scrubs and hospital gloves would have kept skin-to-skin interaction pretty much nonexistent.

She was counting the needles, wondering how many she'd have to bring back from the stock room so that the little box in room 8 would be full, when the automatic double doors slammed open.

Anna gave a little screech and nearly jumped out of her skin. Somewhere inside of her, Logan's personality growled.

Jean came rushing in with what looked like a child in her arms. Logan and Scott followed.

Anna showed them to a bed and ordered Scott to dial Hank and get him out of bed. Jean set the boy gently on the bed. She looked horrified.

Anna looked and saw why. A small boy, no older than 10, was lying unconscious. Everything about him seemed delicate and angelic. Except his arm. It stood out in angry contrast. What looked like a serious burn marred his right side from the tips of his fingers all the way to his shoulder and left his skin raw, bloody, and partially melted away. Anna could see cords of muscle and bits of bone.

"What happened?" Anna demanded while giving him an IV at his left elbow.

Jean's voice was slightly panicky. "We had reports of an anti-mutant mob in the city. We got there and this little boy was there. They were chasing him and—" Jean broke off as if she might start crying.

Scott spoke up, now off the phone with Hank. "There was some sort of explosion. Broke up the mob pretty quickly. We found him like this."

Anna was horrified. "They would really bomb an innocent kid like this?" Her accent got a little thicker.

Scott's eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure what happened."

Logan stayed silent through it all.

Hank arrived and started examining the boy. He ordered Jean and the others out. All they were doing was standing around.

Anna started sedating the boy for pain. It wasn't always the best course of action, but he would definitely need it with those burns. And also because not many people would wake up to a large blue creature examining them and be fine.

Hank nodded at Anna in approval of her actions. "Good, Rogue. He'll need that for the pain. As soon as I finish bandaging him, he should be fine. I'd say he's just narrowly missed needing a skin graph. The burns are pretty bad and they'll leave scars, but he was pretty lucky if he was in some sort of blast. There's hardly any shrapnel in his wound at all, so small chance of infection. Although, some of the muscles in his hand may be compromised. With therapy, he'll most likely regain full or moderate use."

Anna listened to his assessment with relief. She didn't want someone who looked so sweet and innocent to suffer more at the hands of monsters.

She frowned a little when he called her Rogue. It had been a long time before she'd trusted them with her name, and most were still in the habit of calling her by her old name. She didn't mind, not really. But sometimes it seemed like she would forever be Rogue, the girl who couldn't connect because she couldn't _connect_. The girl everyone should keep their distance from. Even now that she had her powers under control, she was still Rogue. It seemed like maybe being Anna was a fool's dream and she would never be the person she'd been before again.

"The bandages will need to be changed every two hours for the first few days and his meds need to be administered intermittently." Hank's words broke her out of her reverie.

"Ah'll be happy to help out an' take the first shift, Dr. McCoy." Anna said, accent heavy as she beamed at the peacefully sleeping little guy.

"Are you sure, Rogue? It'd be unfortunate if I had to wake up the other nurses at this hour, but I'd do it if you need help. After all, there are nurses with real-" He cut himself off.

Anna almost rose her eyebrows. Didn't he understand that when she touched she got _everything_? For all intents and purposes, she _did _have real training. "Hank, he's the only little guy in the whole hospital ward and recruitment is literally in the same building, just a call away. I'll be fine." She made sure to make her voice even and accent-free. Some people didn't take her as seriously when they heard her southern drawl. It was only recently she'd decided to let it slip back into her voice at all. She was wondering about that decision as well. Maybe she just wasn't the same person anymore. There was too much of other people in her for her to just be herself.  
Hank finally left after Anna reassured him a few billion times and all but pushed him out of the door.

Anna was just about to change the boy's bandage when his eyes popped open. She gasped and her eyes widened in shock. Staring at her were some of the most unnerving eyes she'd ever seen. They were like two tunnels that led into a black abyss with deep red wells shining like bloody rubies to lure you in.

The boy shrank away like her reaction hurt him. He braced himself. Against what, Anna didn't know. "Who are you?" He asked in a pitiful voice. "Where am I?" He had some sort of southern accent, she noted.

Anna withdrew her gaze to attend to the boy's bandaged arm. "With the meds I gave you, you shouldn't be awake, let alone lucid." There was no way his body could have processed all the drugs she'd given him. She started to peel away the white gauze over his arm. "Does this hurt?" She asked.

The little boy nodded, but he didn't look like he was about to cry.

She looked at him again, but made sure to school her face into impassivity. "Ok, I'll get you something for that in a minute. You're in a hospital. You were hurt in an explosion. Do you remember?"

He nodded and looked away quickly.

Anna finished peeling back the dressings on his wound. She almost whistled at the sight. "Wow, you look a lot better, sugar." He had somehow healed much faster than Anna would have guessed possible. The burns were already starting to scab, and there was much less seepage than would be expected. It was nowhere near Logan's ability, but she was still impressed. This must have been part of his mutation. At this rate, he probably wouldn't scar at all.

"You from Louis'ana?" He asked in a small voice.

"Nah, kid. Mississippi. Is Louisiana where you're from?" The kid clamped up and Anna bit her cheek to keep from being irritated. Typical male; all take, no give.

"Ah'm the nurse on duty tonight and Ah'll be takin' care of you." He still didn't say anything, so Anna gave up. She finished freshening up his arm and looked at him as if she were examining him. "Do you need anything?"

"Well," he drew out. "'M kinda hungry."

That startled a laugh out of Anna. "Kid, you have one fast metabolism."

"Name's Remy, not kid." He said suddenly.

"Sorry, sugah," Anna said. "Bad habit I picked up from someone I know. I'm going to go get you something to eat."

Remy's strange eyes followed her as she left his bedside.

She turned around, her eyebrows scrunched. "I shouldn't leave you alone. I'm goin' to call someone while I run out and get some real food."

Remy's eyes widened with fear, but he didn't argue.

Anna came back a little while later with a plastic bag that contained two piping hot Styrofoam containers filled with some good ole southern comfort food. Logan was in the chair next to the bed and giving the kid a rather frightening stare. She hit him in the back. "Geez, Logan, you didn't do that the whole time, did ya?"

He grunted and she rolled her eyes. "I'll get going." Logan stood and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He was the only one who'd willingly touch her, even after her ability to control her mutation. And he seemed to understand that she craved human touch. "Call me if you need any help." He glared at the kid from the corner of his eyes. "I'll be around." Then he stalked off.

Anna shook her head. Even given Logan's antipathy for strangers, that was a bit much. She sat in the newly vacated chair and grinned at Remy. "Sorry I was gone so long, Remy. I went out to my favorite place in the whole city." She handed him one of the containers and her eyes were twinkling. "Chicken fried steak with country gravy and biscuits. Served with a side of fluffy garlic mashed potatoes and crunchy, crisp green beans." She paused, and said, as an afterthought, "Oh, and some sweat tea for drinks."

She went to the fridge to get the aforementioned tea and when she came back, she found him staring lovingly at his food and laughed.

"This food looks really good, Ms. Rogue." Remy said politely.

Anna was a little started. He had to have heard someone call her that, but the only person who possibly could have said it was the doctor. She recalled the boy was unconscious. That _couldn't _be right. "Oh, sugah, call me Anna. That's my real name, anyway. I think." Before he could ask what that meant, she barreled on and didn't give him the chance to respond. "I didn't want to feed you just anything, Remy. Why aren't you eating anything if it looks so good, kid?"

Remy looked forlorn. "I'm having a hard time, Ms. Anna." His burned up arm twitched and Anna winced.

"Of course! Ah'm such an idiot!" She quickly spooned a heaping lump of mashed potatoes onto the plastic fork and slid it into his waiting mouth. Something about the mischievous way his eyes sparkled made Anna catch on. That or the completely over satisfied way he seemed to savor the potatoes. Her mouth dropped open and she gave a half-amused, half-incredulous laugh. "Why you little swamp rat! You made me do that just so I would feed you."

His eyes widened with false innocence. "I don't know what you're—"

"Save it, swamp rat!" Anna said, not nearly as disgruntled as she pretended. "Yah can use your left hand from now on." She blushed at her choice of words, but reminded herself a little kid like Remy wouldn't get the other meaning that might have had.

"I couldn't help it, Anna. You're just so pretty." Remy said as he picked up the fork and stabbed at his chicken. He shoveled the food into his mouth at an alarming rate.

Anna smirked. "What are you, 10? That's just a little on the fresh side for me, Remy."

Remy stopped eating to stare at her, hard. Anna was shocked at his intensity. "I like the way you say my name." She gulped at his words and shifted a little uncomfortably. "'Sides," Remy said as he looked away and continued eating. "I'm only 8. I don't tink dat's legal."

Anna was surprised he was so young, but she couldn't help but smile. "We've gotta abide by the law, I guess."

"I don't, usually." Remy said and didn't elaborate. "I only say dat for you. You seem like a good girl."

"Girl?!" Anna exclaimed.

Remy looked up quickly, wondering if he'd offended her. "Non, non, woman." He corrected himself. "A wonderfully grown _belle femme_." His eyes seemed to rake her up and down.

Anna ignored that. He was only eight. He couldn't _really _be checking her out, could he? "You know French, Remy? Must be one of those Louisiana Cajuns I hear so much about."

Remy didn't bother to confirm her statement. She'd already figured it out. He took a swig of his tea and grimaced.

"I know, it's not as good as the stuff they have down south, but it's better than nothing." She took a sip of her own tea. He finished his entire plate and Anna took his garbage.

"You're done?" He asked, looking at her half-full plate.

"Yeah, it's too much for me."

"Could I have dat, please?" Remy asked, making puppy eyes.

Anna blinked. "Of course." She placed the plate on his lap for him to dig into. "You're still hungry?" She said, surprised. Clearly, he was, as he didn't even bother to look up from his food to answer.

She smiled and left to get more bandages. It was about time they be changed.

When she came back, he'd finished her plate, too. She threw away the garbage and washed and gloved her hands to examine his arm, giving him more pain meds first. She peeled back the white layering and exchanged it gently and efficiently. She didn't comment that it was already at least a day's worth healed in only a matter of hours. She had a feeling him being a mutant wasn't exactly something he wanted to talk about. Fine by her. She still had days where she resented her x-gene.

"It's really late, Remy." She said instead of questioning him. "And I gave you some pain medication that should make you pretty sleepy." She turned off the lights.

"Wait!" Remy called out. "Please don't leave me."

"Of course I won't." Anna said. "I'm still on my shift."

"No," Remy said awkwardly. "I meant…don't leave my room. What if dey followed me here?"

Anna really looked at him then. He was looking away as if he was embarrassed, but she could see that he was honestly afraid. "Alright, Remy. You should know you're safe here, but I don't have anything better to do. I can stay in your room with you tonight. Just let me go get some stuff real quick."

Remy nodded and Anna left.

She came in with extra bandages and pain meds for when it was time to change and drug him. She also had books. Remy gave them a look of distaste and seemed worried, like she was going to make him read them or something. He asked her as much and she laughed. "No, these are for me. I was thinking I'd read them to you."

He seemed weary, but once Anna started he became delighted. Especially when she started on _Oh, the Places You'll Go!_ by Dr. Seuss.

"'You're on your own and you know what you know. And _you _are the guy who'll decide where to go. You'll look up and down streets, look them over with care. About some you will say: I don't choose to go there…'" She was sitting on the side of his bed and turned so he would be able to see the pages. He scooted closer to her so he could examine the pages with a scrutinizing eye. She continued..."'Oh, the places you'll go! Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best! Wherever you go, you will top all the rest! Except when you don't…because sometimes you won't. I'm sorry to say so, but, sadly, it's true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you…'" Anna's voice rose and fell with the tone of the passage, but kept flowing with the rhyme perfectly.

Remy listened with great intent. Anna had a sneaking suspicion that no one had ever read to him before and that made her sad. She kept the sadness out of her voice, though, as she read Dr. Seuss and Mercer Mayer and some of the less disturbing Grimm tales. But his favorite was the first she'd read, and he made her read it two more times before he finally yawned so largely that his mouth couldn't open up wide enough. She ordered him to get some rest.

"Don't leave me," he said sleepily as his eyes slipped shut.

She had a feeling he was already half asleep and dreaming when he said that, but she replied anyway. "I won't." She kissed him on the forehead.

And she didn't. She couldn't.

She said she'd take the first shift. But she ended up taking the second, and third.

It was his second night in the hospital. It had gone much like the first, them laughing and talking. They even tested out the TV's that had just been installed in the patient rooms and found out he really liked the nature shows. She may even have given him a wheely bed ride and raced through the halls with him laughing like a loon in his bed and her giggling as she held onto the bedrails. She told him she used to do it with shopping carts all the time when she was young.

She read to him again, just as she had last night. She yawned loudly and she closed the latest book. "Alright, bedtime." She stated and his eyes closed without protest. "I've got to go." She told him, not sure if he was awake. "I—I should be able to come back tonight." She promised. Once she'd spent a shift off, they'd probably let her back in.

She leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. Her eyes flew open when her lips met another pair, these ones smaller and softer. It lasted a good two seconds more than was appropriate before Anna recovered her wits and pulled away. Her face was pink. She opened her mouth, not sure if she was going to tease with him, flirt, or chastise, but he responded before she could say anything.

"It was for if I nevah see yuh again." He said in a small voice.

Anna's heart melted a little. "In that case, we better get another one in." She leaned down to kiss him on the mouth firmly for only a second. She hadn't meant it in a romantic way, but she could tell, even in the dim light, that Remy was blushing something fierce. She turned to walk out of the room and paused at the door. "Remy," she said slowly, drawing it out. "_Ah know_ we'll see each other again."

And then she was gone.

The lack of sleep was hardly bothering her, but she knew the order was going to come eventually. It had come from Xavier himself, so she knew she had better not ignore it. Guess it's not okay to work for over 24 hours straight. She really wanted to just sleep in one of the double rooms with Remy, but she knew that'd make her look even crazier. And people already walked on eggshells around her.

She decided with a heavy heart to just go to her room and rest up. Maybe later she could even find some more books in the school library than there had been in the hospital waiting room. Remy had really seemed to like it when she'd read to him. She hadn't realized how lonely she'd been until she had some good company to shake things up.

She could come back when she wasn't a walking zombie.

But when she came back little Remy was gone. He somehow snuck out in the night without anybody noticing.

That alone rose up a lot of questions, especially for Logan, who didn't have a trustful bone in his body. The professor tried using Cerebro to find him, but every time he got even the slightest bit of a lock—which was hardly ever, the kid was slimier than a mudpuppy on the banks of the Mississippi!—the kid was on the move again. Since Charles couldn't send a team to scour a city for a kid that had probably moved on, there wasn't much anyone could do.

That nagged at Anna's conscience. How could anyone let a little kid alone on the streets? She felt pretty sure he didn't have anyone. It took her a long time to forget him and forget that he might be out there, but she did eventually. Her life was filled with people who needed care, attention, protection…but he'd always be the one that got away. The one that maybe didn't need anyone's saving.


	2. The Second Meeting

_A/N: 2nd part, complete. So, some Rogan as stated, but never fear Remy is here! I tried to include M parts without being too far from the original tone of Ch. 1, but of course the rating has to change and I hope you guys don't hate it. I went through this one pretty quick, so if you see any mistakes PM me or review it and I'll fix it. Thanks. ~Anna L._

* * *

**35 YEARS LATER**

Rogue pushed her way past Storm when they got back. "Rogue!" Storm tried calling after her, but Rogue kept going.

In the end, it was Logan who didn't respect her privacy. Anyone could have called that a mile away. "Hey, kid. What's wrong?"

"I just—I just don't feel like I belong here anymore." Rogue bit out, pulling off the gloves of her new uniform. It was her favorite by far, green and white with a handy hood. But not even fashion could make her happy enough not to be upset with Logan right now.

Logan sat down on her bed and sighed. "It's me, kid. You've got a little too much of me in yah. It's the wanderlust."

Rogue put a bare hand at his temple and brushed the hair from his forehead. "Does it ever go away?"

He grabbed her hand and held it to his heart. His blue eyes seemed to pierce her, as always. "Never."

They didn't discuss the other thing that Rogue had gotten too much of: his healing factor. 35 years and she barely looked a day older. Maybe a little curvier, longer hair, no longer goth. But she could still pass for a teenager while her teammates grew every day. She never would have guessed Scott would fill out so nicely. And Jean looks every bit the lovely mother she is.

It was not a new source of resentment, not for her or her teammates. It was one of the reasons she was starting to feel so out of place. She even looked younger than Jubilee now and Jubilee was easily the youngest and least experienced one of team. It was easy for Logan, because he'd always looked a little older, a little timeless. Rogue didn't.

Logan tugged on her arm until she fell into his lap. He'd been the one to help her find herself, to help her touch again. Charles had her practice with Logan every day until she finally learned how to control her powers. Logan was the only one who could withstand her touch for any good amount of time, and the only one who would get back up after. He'd been reluctant at first, for her sake, not his, but finally he agreed.

For the longest time after she'd learned to control her powers, he was still the only one she would touch because she was so afraid of touching someone else.

As a result, intimacy just happened. It was their secret. He knew her better than anyone and she knew everything about him. His was a comforting embrace. She loved feeling him, in any way she could, but she didn't think she loved _him._ At least not in the Romeo-and-Juliet sense of the word, and that was what Rogue really wanted. This was a casual thing for her, and for him, too, she knew.

Deeply casual, she'd say if anyone ever asked. She didn't know if that made sense, but Logan was the only reason she was still alive today. The only reason she hadn't just given up and gone completely off the deep end. Sometimes he felt like family. Really sexy, desirable family. But no one could ever ask.

They both knew that their friends would find it deeply _wrong._ He was old enough to be her father, a few times over, actually, and he sometimes acted like it. As far as everyone was concerned, his relationship with Rogue was just as innocent as his was with Jubilee, and they were both fine with that.

The only one who'd ever known different was the professor. He'd found out, and Rogue was pretty sure he'd been horrified. But he had to have known that he was the one who'd forced Logan to work with Rogue on her powers. It was his fault. That was probably why he'd never said anything. Now he was dead. Since Jean couldn't read either of their minds no one else would ever find out. That was fine with them.

She straddled him and started kissing him. Everything felt better and less scary when Logan held her. He was so strong, so sure of himself. How could anyone know that he was so unsure, about everything? Rogue knew. They were the only ones who'd ever really understand each other. She let herself become lost in his touch.

* * *

When she woke up in the morning, he was gone.

* * *

Later that week she told Logan about her plan to leave, to back to Mississippi. He hadn't bothered to convince her otherwise at first. He just started kissing her. They fell into bed together easily. It was almost a habit now, to take comfort in one another.

Her eyes opened when he shifted. She was lying on his warm, naked chest. Their skin perfectly melted together.

"You can't just leave, Rogue." He said as he stroked her arm.

"Why not? You did." She closed her eyes and listened to his lungs fill with air.

"Those kids need you." He insisted.

"What? My team? My _students?_" She scoffed. "They'll never respect me. Not the way they respect you or the formidable Scott Summers or Jean Grey." She rolled her eyes.

"Even if you look so young, you don't have to act so immature." Logan tugged her off him and sat up to go. They never stayed together too long in case someone figured out.

She'd never had a morning where she woke up in the arms of the one she loved. She rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. She tried not to let him see how much that statement had hurt her.

He tugged on pants and turned to her. "So _make_ them respect you, kid. Are you really that afraid of some hard work?"

Rogue clenched her jaw and stared pointedly away from him. He should know that it seemed like her whole life had been nothing but hard work. "You should go. Jean's probably looking for you." She regretted her words as soon as she said them.

He gave her a stony look and left without saying a word.

She closed her eyes and slapped a hand over 'em for good measure. Lately, she'd noticed his eyes had been following the redhead telepath. His thoughts were elsewhere when they were together and Rogue knew him well enough to know they were on Jean Grey.

She'd chosen to hurt him because it hurt her to know that he loved Jean when he couldn't even love her, not really. What's worse was that Rogue knew the old guy didn't have a chance when Scott Summers was around. Rogue smiled grimly. If she remembered correctly, she'd been in the same boat when they were younger.

She fell back onto her mussed pillows and blankets and decided to give life at the institute one last chance. If she was honest with herself, the prospect of a team of her own intrigued her. A way to start over new. It seemed like she was always in need of a fresh start.

* * *

She watched them with a scowl on her face. Training a new team had been Scott's idea and she was still none too pleased. She watched as attempt after attempt failed. She finally decided to act. She tapped Sam Guthrie on the neck, making sure to take only what she needed.

They watched in awe as she launched herself at the sentinel, targeting its power core at full speed, thanks to cannonball. The giant red robot fell. She saw pixie scramble to get out from under it.

Rogue delicately landed as the giant crashed. Cannonball's powers faded soon after. "Y'all learn anything?" She only took enough time to see their new looks of interest and respect in her before she turned and walked away, swaying her hips a little.

They hadn't respected her when they were introduced to their new team leader. They didn't trust her, either. She was hoping their first mission together would show them just how wrong first impressions can be. When she heard about a sentinel attacking the innocents of Genosha, she knew this little outing would be perfect.

The jet was waiting to take them back to the Institute. Sam, Cannonball, came running to catch up with her. "You mean I coulda done that?" He asked, grinning.

Rogue knew the kid was interested. She turned to him with a smirk, not sure if she would tease him, flirt back, or shoot him down. Maybe even all three at once. He had a charming accent and usually Rogue was a sucker for those down home boys, but…

But then the ground shook and another sentinel landed. Rogue shifted into battle stance immediately. She noticed something from the corner of her eye. "Sam, stop!" She screamed.

The lughead was already en route and nothing could stop him once he—Rogue winced. Nothing, it seemed, but a giant _revamped_ sentinel arm as it swatted him out o' the sky like a fly. Even if the kid had landed true, she could tell this was an updated, much harder to kill version of the classic gloom and doom red robot. The reports had been wrong. There hadn't been one sentinel, there'd been two.

Rogue started running forward, towards the kids, because without touching someone she was powerless and robot metal did not skin-to-skin contact conduce. She was blasted by a shot from the sentinel before she even made it close.

She flew even farther from them and hit her head when she landed on the ground. She tried to rise but her vision blurred and she fell back. She turned her head to see her group of kids. She heard their panicked screams. She hoped like hell they remembered her first lesson—assess the situation. Sam sure as shit hadn't.

The sentinel started to advance.

Rogue bit her cheek until blood flowed and her teeth mashed together. She managed to half-sit up on her elbows. She heard more shouts and was shocked back into stillness when she saw what was happening.

A man in a long tan coat stood in front of the sentinel. He was throwing something that seemed flat that exploded on contact. It reminded Rogue of Tabitha's powers. She saw Pixie hunched behind him and fought irritation, even in her hazy state. X-Men shouldn't hide. Then she remembered these were just young kids she'd thrown into a battle they weren't prepared for and tried to fight her guilt, instead.

The man easily dodged all of the sentinel's blasts. She'd never seen someone so agile. He used a bow staff to help him jump and evade while leading the hulking scrap of metal away from the kids. He continued to launch those objects until it seemed he'd made contact and the sentinel came crashing down.

Rogue forgot about her own injuries and pain and pushed herself forward. She didn't think she'd ever moved so fast without anyone else's powers. She managed to knock Pixie away just in time. The metal monster landed down right where the girl had been huddled in fear. Right where Rogue's foot was now trapped.

Without accessing, Rogue knew the foot was gone, beyond what medicine could heal. She pushed Pixie out from under her and saw the girl was wet with blood, but none of it was the little fairy girl's.

She allowed the pain to swamp her and take her over, the last thing she remembered was the tall man's dark shadow helping the darkness swallow her.

* * *

Later, when Rogue started to come to, she felt someone grasping her cheek. She couldn't control her power drain when she was so weak. She moaned and flinched away from the contact because while it hurt the person she was touching, she also absorbed the pain she caused. She tried harder to jerk her face away, but a strong hand tightened and held her still partially by grasping the back of her neck.

She became aware of memories—she hadn't touched Logan like this in a long time and new experiences came rushing and slamming into her head in waves. She saw with a small, distracted sadness that he'd been with others.

Mainly, though, she felt more pain and anger. Did it never end with Wolverine? It hurt Rogue to try to live through his memories all over. A battle with Magneto finally filled her head, it felt like years. _Had_ been years, for Logan. She saw herself in the stranger's arms. He was carrying her into the hospital at Xavier's, holding her with ease. He had to have flown the jet to get here. None of the kids knew how. Maybe Pixie had transported them.

Logan had smelled the blood first. Finally, Rouge saw that she had a cut across her forehead, where she must have fallen and hit her head. It looked like so much busted up skin. A large, circular burn was across her right shoulder about a foot in diameter. It looked bad. The man was careful not to touch it. That was good, because unconscious, her power had who it had.

But worst of all was her foot. It was almost completely flat where the sentinel had landed. Her green and white suit was stained and dripping with red. Pixie was sobbing hysterically behind the strange man. That girl really needed to get it together.

Rogue wished she could make the choice to look away from her mangled form, but Logan never did. She was subjected to what he'd experienced as his skin continued to press against hers.

His eyes were on her as he went through taking her into his arms from the stranger and laying her on the hospital bed. He grabbed her cheek.

Rogue's eyes snapped open as she came rushing to. She let go of Logan's hand. She noted absently that she'd been grasping it. He fell gasping to the floor. Rogue felt guilty, but knew that he would heal. She lightly bit her cheek and felt only smooth cheek cell walls.

Beast came in and she tried to sit up, but he lightly pushed her back down. "Now, Rogue. You have series injuries. You should rest."

"You know Logan's powers'll do me fine—" Her vision started to swirl and she looked down to see Beast putting something in a IV she hadn't noticed before.

"What're…ya…givin'…me…" Her head started to spin and his eyes might have actually been spinning for how the world started to look.

"Sssh, Rogue," he said, trying to sooth her. "Just something for the pain. Rest. You have to spend a mandatory night in the hospital _at minimum _anyway."

The last thing she heard was her friend ordering Logan's body off the floor and telling the nurses to make sure Rogue's rest was uninterrupted for the night.

* * *

She groggily opened her eyes and growled at her last thought. Hank shouldn't have given her anything. No doubt he'd given her enough to knock out a horse. Still didn't do much good with Logan's powers. He should have known she'd be fine.

Rogue shivered and looked around. Her hospital room was dark, but Logan's senses let her see better than she would have had she just had her own eyesight. It was cold because someone had left the window open. She frowned. That wasn't right. She sniffed the air instinctively—Logan's instincts, anyway—and immediately stiffened.

"Bonjour, chère."

Her hand had flown up in a fist to protect herself, but she sighed with relief when she realized she wasn't in danger and she wouldn't need claws. She hadn't touched him long enough to get those anyway, _thank god_. "You saved me." She said.

It sounded more like an accusation than a thank you, but he didn't let that faze him. "Name's Gambit., chère." He grabbed her hand and gave it a light kiss.

Her inner southern bell had her smiling despite herself. "And just _what_ do you think you're doin' in mah hospital room, Gam—"

She was silenced by his mouth. Her eyes opened wide and surprised at the feel of his lips against hers. He'd not been content with just her hand and wouldn't stop until he'd swooped in to kiss her before she even knew what he was doing.

She wondered if it was strange to be kissing a stranger at midnight in her hospital gown, but she dismissed the thought. There was something familiar…She closed her eyes and was just about to kiss him back when he pulled away.

"I just came to wish you a goodnight, chère." He smiled at her still shocked face and turned to leave out of the window.

"Remy!" She called out, hoping to stop him.

He stopped, his back turned. His face titled just a little so that he could look at her, but she couldn't see his face. Not that she would see it all that well in this lighting, even with Logan's eyesight. "You remembered me, petite?"

She couldn't read the emotion in his voice and for some reason that really bothered her. "Ah don't go around just kissing people all the time, you know." She rolled her eyes at his French endearment. One would never know she was actually older than him by the way he talked.

He turned to give her a devilish grin. "So you remember my lips, Anna?" That seemed to be the most pleasing thing she could have said to him.

She laughed outright at his voice. There was a hopeful, almost _promising _lilt to it. "Ah'm surprised you remembered mine, t'be honest, Remy." He seemed like the type of man who didn't have trouble getting women to, _ahem, _open up.

He came close to her bedside and leaned down so his face was close to hers. She felt her heart beat a little faster. "You don't forget your first, chère."

Rogue blushed and looked down, but not for long. He was so close, she could make out the darkness of his eyes. She couldn't see their color in the dark and she found herself wishing she could see that alluring red glow. She wondered if it had changed or if it was the same as she remembered. "Is that so?" Was all she managed to say.

He leaned in closer until she could feel the heat of his face. "Oui." Then he pulled away to lean against the window frame and she nearly scowled.

As it was, her eyes narrowed. Rogue sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood. "You've got a lot to explain, Cajun."

Rogue tried to take a testing step and stumbled as she gasped in pain.

He looked up from the window swiftly. "Chère, let Remy help you." He rushed to her side and put an arm under one of hers to hold her waist.

She let him. She placed her right hand no his chest and the other at his waist. She gave an exaggeratedly deep breath.

As he helped her try take a few more small steps, she slowly let her hand slide down his chest, to his abs until they rested against his lower stomach.

He stopped and looked at her in surprise.

Rogue tried to keep her face demure, but she couldn't help but grin up at him.

Remy's eyes started to dance when he realized what she'd been doing. He tried to fight his smile. "Payback, non?" He asked. His eyes sparkled as he referred to the trick he'd pulled when he was just a boy. "Dat's fine, chère. You can touch Remy whenever you like." He grabbed her hand and pressed in harder into his lower stomach as he looked at her with fierce desire.

Rogue couldn't fight the intense drop of her stomach. She felt like maybe she'd fallen a couple hundred stories and she needed a second to catch her breath. She moved to face him, her steps perfect and her eyes locked onto his in the dark. Her hands both slid to his chest and grabbed his shoulders. His hands were still at his side, letting her do anything she liked.

She pushed him lightly until his steps were halted by the back of the bed hitting the backs of his thighs. She paused and gave him a searching look, but he was inscrutable. Except for the slight shine of his eyes that almost seemed like a dare.

She pushed him into the bed until he fell back on it. She roughly pulled off his shirt and he let her. She started to climb on his lap and continued to push him back until he was lying underneath her on the hospital bed. He just looked at her, curious as to what she wanted.

Rogue lowered herself until her face was pressed against his naked chest and her body covered his. "You're more comfortable than the bed." She whispered, not sure if he heard.

It was no longer cold in the room, even though the window was still open. Remy was warm enough for them both. She could feel his skin acutely through the thin material of the hospital dress. She felt his arms come around her body to hold her and she shivered.

Rogue felt herself start to drift off. Just before she fell asleep she felt him kiss her lightly on the forehead.

* * *

A pale light had her slowly coming to consciousness. She stretched out before her eyes opened. She was more comfortable than she could remember being in a long time. She pressed herself harder into her comfortable mattress—_that wasn't her mattress!_ Her eyes flew open to see Remy beneath her.

Yellow brightness let Rogue see everything. She felt herself blush at the realization that he'd stayed the whole night. The first time anyone had ever stayed. It somehow felt more personal than anything she'd ever experienced. She looked away, hoping he wouldn't see how pink her cheeks were getting.

His eyes opened and he smiled. His eyes looked perfect in the soft light. He put his hand on her cheek and turned her face to him, not letting her hide. His hand slid from her cheek to her neck and down her shoulder and arm until he stopped at her waist.

Rogue rose a little and found she was straddling one of his thighs without realizing. Maybe she'd been doing it the entire night.

When she'd moved against him, she'd heard Remy catch his breath and felt him hold her waist in a hard grip. "Maybe you shouldn't move just yet, Anna."

Her stomach twisted when she realized that he was suffering from her proximity. She gulped. "Anna never really stuck." She told him in an attempt to distract him from her position on top of him.

"I think it suits you, chère." His hand played with a white lock of her soft hair.

Rogue couldn't say why that touched her so much. Someone who saw her as a human woman first, someone who didn't fear her, someone who trusted her, someone who cared enough to _stay_.

Rogue swooped down to kiss him again. He met her with an upturned face and their lips fit together perfectly. She let her hand play with the ridges of muscles on his chest while one buried itself in his thick chestnut hair. She involuntarily inched further up his body to get better access to his face, which forced her to ride him.

When he groaned at her movement, she pulled back.

Rogue sat there, snug on his lap for at least a minute, not sure what she wanted or even what she was debating. Her eyes drifted down from his face and she licked her lips involuntarily as she slipped her fingers across his bare chest. Eating up his bare skin not only with her eyes but with her hands. It felt like she was devouring him inside and out, and that was no mutant power. It was just her, just Anna.

She gasped at the strong pull in her stomach. She pushed her hips harder into him. Then she pulled away. "Even if all I could do is look at you, it would be enough."

Remy took hold of her hands and put them back on his chest. "But why settle, Chèrie?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Is that what you think Ah'm about to do?"

"I don't know, ma chère, do you want an old man like Remy? People, maybe they talk." He said, testing her.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "I'm older than you." She did the math in her head, he was 43. She was older. It made her cringe to think just how old. She should look like a crone by now. She put that thought out of her head and concentrated on Remy.

His eyes watched her with interest as her arms moved behind her to pull the bows behind her neck and back. She plucked the paper-like hospital gown from her body and tossed it aside.

His eyes widened and Rogue didn't know it would be possible for those red eyes to become more beautiful. She grabbed his hands in hers. "Remy!" She pleaded when all he did was admire her.

"Anything you want, Anna." He promised, his eyes moving up her body slowly to meet hers.

Her face was vulnerable with her next words. "I want you to touch me. _Everywhere._" She moved his hands up her body to show him just how she wanted him to touch her. Her eyes closed with bliss at the feel of his rough, unhesitant hands stroking her.

He only paused to drop a few kisses on her shoulder where a pale scar was still healing. If it was possible for a human to purr, that was what she did. Normally, she'd wonder if it was from someone else. Maybe too much Beast in her? But at the moment all she wanted was for Remy to never stop.

She told him as much in a demand as she began on his dark blue jeans. He complied.

He let her control him as she settled over him. He let her lead, but at the same time he held her close in a grip that let her know he wouldn't let her go as he meet her rhythm in perfect synchronicity.

They kissed slowly as they arced into each other. Anna pulled back at the last second so that her last comprehensible thought would be those of his beautiful red eyes before she truly lost herself in the pleasure.

She found herself collapse on top of him and grip his shoulders tightly as she suckled his neck. Her thrusts were shaky as she tried to continue to push into him weakly, wanting to give him some of the pleasure he gave her.

He kissed the side of her neck and face, lingering on her temple. He flipped them both over on the small hospital bed until she was beneath him.

She loved seeing him above her as he strived to work towards only her pleasure yet again. He stroked her hair and kept caressing her body until she felt the tremors start despite herself.

Remy moved in to kiss her as she came and the feel of her frantic muscles working him once more had him moaning pleasure as he allowed himself to lose control.

He buckled on top of her, but when he tried to move off, she kept him there with a surprising strength. "Will you stay?" She liked having him on top of her, sure, but Anna's words were deeper than the moment.

"Oui," Remy promised.

Anna let her eyes close. She relaxed and wrapped an arm around his back, securing his place on top of her. "Good." She said, smiling.

He dropped a kiss on her shoulder and kept himself half on top of her, most of his chest and one leg securing her beneath him. He nestled his head against her chest and she held him there.

There, they fell asleep in the place they first met.


End file.
